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Monthly Archives: December 2012

In April 2010 Attorney-General, Robert McClelland and Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Lindsay Tanner announced the Government’s intention to streamline federal anti-discrimination legislation by replacing the five existing Commonwealth anti-discrimination laws with a new consolidated Act. The consolidated legislation was intended to remove unnecessary regulatory overlap, address inconsistencies across laws and make the system more […]

In August 2012, the Government commissioned expert panel reported on the politically plagued question of how Australia ought to address the question of asylum seekers who arrive on our shore by boat. (The full report can be accessed here). One of the panel’s recommendations was that Australia adopt a ‘no advantage’ principle – that is, […]

While there has been much discussion and debate over the scope of the terms of reference and powers of the proposed Royal Commission into Child Abuse, there has been little consideration of the constitutional basis for these powers. Gabrielle Appleby considers this important aspect of the Commission’s establishment. On 12 November 2012 the Prime Minister […]

Dr Matthew Stubbs considers the important steps that were taken last week towards constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples at the Commonwealth and State level. The political spectacle of the final parliamentary sitting weeks of the year in both Canberra and Adelaide has tended to obscure coverage of some important steps that […]